Brace for automobile rear decks or the like



June 1 A. CLAUD-MANTLE 2,205,682 BRACE FOR AUTOMOBILE REAR DECKS OR THELIKE Filed Jan. 22, 1935 ,k\ \i f Q 25 14" g a 4" ;W v A Z k ,INVENTOR.

- ARTHUR BLaun-MANTLE.

' ATTORNEY Patented June 25, 1940 P s a! BRACE FUR AUTOMGEKLE REAR DECKSOR THE LIKE Arthur Gland-Mantle, Trumbull, Conn, assignor to The BassickCompany, Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut ApplicationJanuary 1936, Serial No. 60,225

3 Claims. (o1. 217 60) The present invention relates to an improved vbrace for an automobile rear deck, or other struc ture where it isdesired to provide a hinged closure which is supported in open positionby a brace. In the usual type of brace heretofore in use it has beennecessary in order to close the deck to break the florace from itslocked supporting position by manually pressing upon one of the arms,which was both inconvenient and dangerous, as it required the use of onehand and the hand was apt to be pinched by the fold- :ing arms. As it isusually necessary to use one hand for supporting the deck as it is beingclosed and the other for breaking the brace the use of braces at bothsides of the deck has not been practicable because of the necessity insuch cases for use of both hands for breaking thetwo braces.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a brace which may-bereleased from itsextendedlocked position merely by slightly lifting therear deck closure prior to closing it. It is further proposed to providea brace which will be set either for locking or releasing by merelymoving the rear closure deck to its upper limit 25 position so that noaccuracy or skill will be required in causing the brace to operate. Afurther object is to provide a brace of simple and inexpensiveconstruction in which the operative parts are protected against damagethrough rough 30' usage, and which may be readily installed on existingtypes of rear deck structures.

With the above and other objects in view an embodiment of the inventionis shown in the accompanying drawings and this embodiment will behereinafter more fully described with reierence thereto and theinvention will be finall pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a brace, according to my invention, andshowing the same in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the brace at open position. Fig. 3 isan inner edge view in open position.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partially broken away, showing the positionof the two arms of the brace at the point during the opening movementwhere the locking pawl is initially swung in clockwise direction in itslower position.

Fig. 5 is a similar view at a further point in the opening movementwhere the locking pawl has been moved to its upper position preparatoryto locking.

Fig. 6 is a similar view, showing the position i of the two arms of thebrace in the fully extended position with the parts set for locking.

Fig. '7 is a similar View in which the arms are fully extended to tripthe locking pawl prior to closing of the brace.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the brace, according to the exemplaryillustrated embodiment of the 10 invention, comprises a lower arm l6pivotally connected at H to a bracket t2 adapted to be secured to theinterior of the side wall E3 of the rear deck compartment, and an upperarm I 3 hingedly connected to the upper end of the lower arm, as willpresently more fullyappear, and pivotally connected at its outer end atl5 to a bracket l t secured to the inner side of the rear deck closuremember. ll. It will be understood that the closure member H is hinged atits upper end to the rear deck in the usual manner.

At the upper end portion of the arm Illa plate E8 is secured in parallelspaced relation by means of three equally spaced shouldered studs i9, 20and 2!, the ends of these studs being riveted upon the outer surfaces ofthe arm It and the plate It as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The arm I4 whichis preferably curved at its end portion adjacent the upper end of thearmi0 is hin-gedly mounted upon the stud l9 between the inner surfaces ofthe arm m and the plate l8, being provided at one edge with a projectingfinger portion 22 having a locking notch portion 23 at one side, andbeing provided at its other edge with a right angular bent lug 2dadapted to move into a 3 cut-out 25 provided in the plate l8 below thestud is to limit the extension oropening movement of the arm Id byabutment with the inner wall of this recess, as shown in, Figs. 6 and'7.

A substantially oval-shaped pawl member 25 having a slot 26 is slidiablyengaged upon the stud 283 between the arm iii and plate 18, and isprovided at its upper end with a projecting inclined faced pawl finger2?, for cooperation with the finger 22 and the locking notch'23 of thearm M, as will presently more fully appear, there being a notch ti atthe lower end of the incline'd face of the pawl finger 21. A hair pinspring comprising an eye portion 28 and. side legs 29 and 3b ismountedbetween the arm ill and the 59 plate it through engagement of theeye portion 28 with the stud 2B, the arms 29 and 39 engaging the pawlmember 26 respectively at each side. These arms normally maintain thepawl in parallel relation to the arm ill by exerting equal pressure uponeach side tending to swing it into such parallel relation. The arm 29 isprovided at its upper end with an inwardly curved portion 3| whichengages, the upper rounded shoulder of the pawl to normally hold it inits downwardly removed position, and which when the pawl is swung inclockwise direction through engageinent .by the finger 22 of the arm Mengages the rounded lower end portion of the pawl and tends to press itupwardly upon the stud 20. The upper end of the arm 31 is also providedwith an inwardly curved portion 32 to engage the upper rounded shoulderof the pawl at the opposite side from the arm 29, the end of the "curvedportion 32 being curved outwardly, as at to provide smooth bearingcontact with the side of the detent.

The operation is as follows:

i As the rear deck closure member I1 is raised to its open position theprojecting finger 22 of the arm M engages the inclined surface of thepawl finger 2l of the pawl member 26 causing it to swing in clockwisedirection, as shown in Fig.- 4. As the pawl member is further swung inclockwise direction the notch 27 comes into line with the finger 22, andas the rounded end 3| of the spring 29 is now in position to press thepawl member 26 upwardly the notch 27* snaps into engagement with therounded end of the finger 22, the pawl member now being in raisedlocking position, as shown in Fig. 5. With the pawl mem ber in thisraised locking position the upward movement of the arm I4 is continuedto the: upper limit-position, which is determined by abutment of the lug25 with the wall of the recess 25, the finger 22 moving out ofengagement with the notch 21 and beyond the end of the pawl finger 21,so that the pawl member 25, which is still held in raised position bythe arm 29 of the spring, is swung in clockwise direction by thepressure of the arm 3!] of the spring to bring the pawl finger 21 intothe notch 23, as shown in Fig. 6. Upon release of the closure member iithe arm I4 swings downwardly a short distance, the finger 22 forcing thepawl member 26 downwardly upon the stud 2D to the inclined lockingposition indicated in Fig. 2, where the end of the pawl finger 21engages the locking notch 23 and forms with the arm M a rigid togglewhich supportsthe arm 14 against further downward movement.

In order to close the closure member H it is only necessary to raise itfrom the position shown in Fig. 2 to the upper limit position as shownin Fig. '7, whereupon the notch 23 is swung clear of the pawl finger 21which upon release is moved into upright relation by the pressure of thespring arm 30, the end 33 of which exerts inward pressure at a pointabove the pivotal axis of the stud 29. Thereupon the downward swingingof the arm M will cause the projecting finger 22 to snap past theprojecting pawl finger 21 and the arm is free to move to the closedposition indicated in Fig. 1.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodimentof the invention, but it will be obvious. that changes may be madetherein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention what I do claim and desire tosecure'by Letters Patent is:

1. A brace of the character described comprising a pair of armsconnected for relative movement between contracted and extendedpositions,

stop means cooperating between said arms to limit the fully extendedposition of said arms, and means for releasably locking said arms inextended position comprising a locking pawl means carried by one of saidarms having a slot and pivot connection therewith and whereby it hasboth pivotal movement and bodily projecting and retracting movementalong a line transverse to the axis of said pivot, spring means normallymaintaining said pawl means in a predetermined retracted position,actuating means on the other of said arms adapted as said arms are movedto said fully extended position determined by said stop means to engagesaid pawl means to pivotally move it into projected position, and detentmeans on said other arm adapted to lockingly engage said pawl means inretracted locking position upon limited return movement of said extendedarm, secondary extension movement of said arm adapted to release saidpawl means from looking position.

2. A brace of the character described comprising a pair of armspivotally connected by a fixed pivot for relative folding and unfoldingmove,- ment between contracted and extended positions, stop meanscooperating between said arms to limit the fully extended position ofsaid arms, andmeans for releasably locking said arms in extendedposition comprising a locking pawl means carried by one of said armshaving a slot and pivot connection therewith and whereby it has bothpivotal movement and bodily projecting and retracting movement along aline transverse to the axis of said pivot, spring means normallymaintaining said pawl means in a predetermined retracted position,actuating means on the other of said arms adapted as said arms are movedto said fully extended position determined by said stop means to engagesaid pawl means to pivotally move it into projected position and detentmeans on said other arm adapted to lockingly engage said pawl means inretracted look-- ing position upon limited return movement of saidextended arm, secondary extension movement of said arm adapted torelease said pawl means from looking position.

3. A brace of the character described comprising a pair of armspivotally connected by a fixed pivot for relative folding and unfoldingmovement between contracted and extended positions, stop meanscooperating between said arms to limit the fully extended position ofsaid arms, and means for releasably locking said arms in extendedposition comprising a locking pawl means carried by one of said armshaving a slot and pivot connection therewith and whereby it 'has bothpivotal movement and bodily projecting and retracting movement along aline transverse to the axis ofsaid pivot, spring means normallymaintaining said, pawl means in a medial retracted position parallel tosaid slot, actuating means on the other of said arms adapted as saidarms are moved to said fully extended position determined by said stopmeans to engage said pawl means to pivotally move it into projectedposition, and detent meanson said other arm adapted tolockingly engagesaid pawl means in retracted locking position upon limited returnmovement of said extended arm, secondary extension movement of said armadapted to release said pawl means from looking position. 1

ARTHUR CLAU'D-MANTLE.

